Iran seeks nothing beyond its rights in NPT: Rouhani

President Hassan Rouhani (R) and former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan

Press TV- (Tue Jan 28, 2014) Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says the country pursues nothing in its nuclear energy program beyond its rights as stipulated in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“Iran seeks nothing beyond its rights based on the NPT’s regulations; and should there be serious resolve in the other side, there exists the readiness for reaching a final agreement and a comprehensive conclusion [of the matter] in a short-term span,” the Iranian president said in Tehran on Tuesday.President Rouhani made the remarks in meeting with members of The Elders organization, headed by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, and Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu had also joined the meeting as part of The Elders group, established by late South African Nelson Mandela.“All our activities are peaceful and will remain peaceful,” Rouhani noted.Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president said, “The regional crises are rooted in cultural poverty, economic poverty, injustice, the absence of democracy, and the presence of foreign forces and their intervention.”“We should unite en bloc for the cessation of war and killing in Syria,” he added.“Toward this purpose, the most important step is the cessation of the support for and the prevention of assistance and transfer of weaponry to terrorist groups by some of the region’s countries. In addition, the issue of humanitarian assistance to the country’s people inside and outside Syria must be considered.”Annan, for his part, said that the world had to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria and stop the killings.For the resolution of the issue, the United Nations Security Council and Syria’s neighbors, especially Iran, had to play role, he added.